Teacher's Pet
by MarauderWitch
Summary: Dirk Cresswell tries to please Professor Slughorn and keep his place in the Slug Club during a Potions class. If only his best mate stopped talking about a certain Andromeda Black it would all be so much easier ... Written for the Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition.


**Teacher's Pet**

The staircase down to the dungeons seemed colder than usual, though that was bound to be expected now that the winter had started. Dirk Cresswell smiled as the scent of his favourite classroom invaded his nostrils. No particular draught was being boiled yet, but just to be in there left him excited. He was invariably the first student to arrive and on the Wednesday afternoon it was no different, he just could not help himself when they were another bit of that beautiful art.

'Ah, Mr Cresswell, my dear boy,' greeted Professor Slughorn. 'How are you doing today?'

'Brilliant, Professor,' he answered with a wide smile and a short nod. 'What are we learning today, may I ask?'

There were always a good side to being one of the teacher's favourites, especially when that teacher happened to be Horace Slughorn, who never did a thing to hide who his favourite students were.

'Of course you may, come closer,' the professor invited with a gesture of his hand. 'Today's brewing consists of the Wit-Sharpening Potion.'

Slughorn did not seem to want to hide the smile from his face and Dirk smiled back not only due to his own excitement, but also because of how special it seemed. Few were the things that could mess with knowledge that was a thing he had come to learn upon entering Hogwarts. Marvelled at the idea of magic actually existing, his eleven-year-old self still had so much to learn, especially with his condition of being a Muggle-born. Magic did not have the answer or the means to do everything; there was only so much you could alter. A Wit-Sharpening Potion was indeed something to behold and contemplate.

Dirk watched as the professor opened his personal copy of _Magical Drafts and Potions_ by Arsenius Jigger and show him the instructions.

'You see, tricky potion, this one can be, but if you pay attention to a few crucial bits, you shouldn't have a problem.' Slughorn pointed it to the fourth instruction. 'It is very important that you don't let it become dark green as it usually happens when you mix the Armadillo bile a few more times than necessary, a bright yellow's what you're looking for and —' Slughorn smiled pleased with himself and closed the book in his hands, looking from it to his favourite student. 'I'll let you figure the other one by yourself, Dirk, boy. I'm sure a smart young man like yourself will brew it perfectly,' he added as the usual chattering of students let them know that it was time for the class to start.

'I'll try, sir,' Dirk assured him.

The Hufflepuff went to set his cauldron at his usual spot and just as he had finished igniting the fire, he saw a blond Hufflepuff joining him.

'Is she here, yet? Is she?'

Dirk exhaled heavily and shook his head as Ted Tonks looked all around the classroom for the brunette Black he was obsessed with.

'No idea, Ted,' he answered casting a lazy gaze around the classroom to see if he could find his best mate's crush.

'Oh, there she is,' smirked Ted setting his cauldron down and watching Andromeda Black do the same. 'What d'you reckon she sees in that Lestrange?'

'Dunno, mate. Wasn't she betrothed to him? Prolly a pure-blood then,' Dirk pointed out.

'Dromeda's different, Dirk, I'm telling you, she's not like her sisters,' Ted told him.

'Shh, Ted, Slughorn's talking.' Dirk waved a hand at Ted who rolled his eyes and shook his head. Surely disapproving how someone could be more interested on the professor's instructions for a bloody potion than Andromeda Black, but Dirk was. And he was sure that Ted would have done exactly the same should he have been talking in Charms class. But not about Andromeda Black, mind you, Emmeline Vance was the girl that had caught his eye lately.

Dirk opened _Magical Drafts and Potions _on page two hundred and fifty four as Slughorn had told them to do and read the first instructions.

_Mix in Ginger Root until lime green._

_Mix Armadillo Bile until blue._

_Mix Ground Scarab Beetles until red._

He hurried to the cabinet to get the items he would need and started to cut the ginger right away, keeping in mind what Slughorn had told him about not letting it turn dark green by mixing the Armadillo bile too much. Not doing it right could cost him his place in the Slug Club and Dirk was not about to lose one of the few privileges Muggle-borns could have in that school.

Brewing potions had always come easily to Dirk Cresswell, it was much like cooking and his mother was an excellent one, had taught him several little secrets in the countless days he had spent with her in the restaurant she worked as a chef when she had no one else to watch him.

An odd smell and his attention was no longer on the cauldron before him and how many times he had remixed the potion after the addition of more Ginger Roots.

'Ted, Ted, TED!' Dirk had done his best not to shout, but his friend's potion was no longer yellow as it should be. 'Blimey, mate! What did I tell you about the second batch of Armadillo bile?' he asked unmistakably annoyed.

'Uh ... don't let it turn green?' Ted guessed eyeing the most definitely green content of his cauldron.

'Exactly!' Dirk argued exhaling heavily. 'Start over, really don't think I can save you this time.'

'But —'

'Quick now, while you still have time.'

Ted glanced from his cauldron to his friend and smirked.

'Dirk, you're so good at Potions, mate, I dunno what I'd do without you.'

'Not a potion, I'm sure,' Dirk joked.

'No,' Ted agreed. 'But ... how angry do you reckon Dromeda would be with me if she learnt that I gave her a love potion?'

All Dirk could do was roll his eyes. Ted was impossible.


End file.
